Cellular phone traffic is continuously increasing. A cellular phone carrier traditionally uses macro base stations to handle traffic and signaling between mobile devices and a core of a cellular phone network. To accommodate the growing traffic, cellular phone carriers are planning to use small cells (e.g., a micro cell), in addition to macro base stations, in order to increase capacities of cellular phone networks.
One approach for adding small cells is to place the small cells a particular distance apart from each other (e.g., small cells are placed so that each one of the small cells covers a 2 mile radius). However, this approach does not take into account the actual need for small cells in particular locations. As a result, areas, that have relatively low amounts of cellular traffic, may have too many small cells, while areas, with relatively high amounts of cellular traffic, may have too few small cells. To ensure quality cellular services, carriers can increase quantities of small cells in all areas. Consequently, the carriers would waste resources by adding small cells where the small cells are not needed.